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(N0 Modeh) v F. J. SPRAGUE.

v OVER EA LINE POR- TELEOTRIG RAILWAYS. 310397.875; v Patented8b.12,188.9.

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I. J. SPRAGUE.

OVERHEAD LINE FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS. No. 397,875. Patented Feb. 12, 1889.

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P. J. SPRAGUE. OVERHEAD LINE FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

No. 397,875. Patented Feb. 12,1889.

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4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

v 'F. J. S'PRAGUE.

OVERHEAD LINE1F0RBLEGTRIQRAILWAYS.- No. 397,875. Patenfiedfeb. 12, 1889 citizen of the United States, residing at the branching conductors.

- of the trolley and causingthe same to ride downwardly, so that the flange of the trolley will pass onto the frog or switch-plate.

' extending rib; Fig. 1, 1.0

.on the road, or where two lines cross each same; Fig. 3, across-section on the line a: :0 of

overhead wires following the two tracks of the turn-outs, respectively, and C is the overhead conductor following the mainline of the track 1 Uivirnn' Srn'rns FRANK J. SPRM'HIE, orivsw .YoRK,

Y., ASSIGNOR To THE sPnAe-Un' ELECTRIC RAITAVAYAND ,M O TQR COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

OVERHEAD LINE FOR-ELECTRBC RABLWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 897,875, dated February 12, 1889.

- Ap licant filed September 27,1888. Serial No. 286,663. (No model-l.

To all whom it may coacerm Be it known that I, FRANK J. SPRAGUE, a

city of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement-in Electric Railways, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates'to overhead lines for electric railways on which a contact wheel or trolley is adapted to make an underneath contact for the purpose of conveying current to the motor which propels the ear.

I More especially,- myinvention relates to features of construction for the overhead line at places where there are switches or turn-outs otherthat is, wherever there are crossing or The main feature of my invention consists in providing the overhead line with a downwardly-extending rib for receiving the groove lvly invention. is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a frog or switch-plate for a turn-out, the same being turned upside down; Fig. 2, a top view of the Fig. 2, looking from the other end; Fig. 4, a plan of a turn-out, showing the track and the overhead conductor; Fig. 5, a side view of the switchplate,illustrating the different positions which are assumed by the trolley in passing under it; Fig. 6, a perspective view. of a portion of the switch-plate, illustrating a modified construction of the downwardlya bot-ton view of a switch-plate for two lines crossing each other at an acute angle; Fig. 8, a bottom perspective view of a switch-plate for two lines crossing at right angles; Fig. 9, a top view of the same.

Referring, first, to Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, A and A represent the two tracks of a turn-out of an electric railway. B and B represent the in both directions. Ateach'end ofv the turnout a frog or switch-plate, D, is interpolated in the overhead line. This consists of a fiat metal plate, E, tapering from one end to the 1 other, the wider en'd beingin the direction of the turn-out and having a downwardly-extending rib, F, on each side. The wire 0 is brought into a grooveon the upper side of the plate E, and branches into the two wires B and B, which also are laid in grooves in the plate, the wires being secured in the grooves by metal straps a, or by any other suitable means, such straps being soldered or otherwise detachably secured to the plate, so

that the plate can'rcadily be removed fromv the wire, if desired. The plate is thus se 1 cured in line with or'in, about the same horizontal plane as the conductor.

' At the narrow end" of the plate, an d midway between its sides, is attached the downwardly extending depressing-rib G, projecting out from the plate along the wire. The

wire 0 passes along the upper edge of'this rib, which is straight, while the lower edge is curved or inclined, the rib being of the same depth as the flange-of the contact-trolley, so as to permit the same to ride readily upon the plate E.

At the wide ,end of the plate E is placed, in

the middle of the plate, the V-shaped deflecting-rib H, the apex of which points. toward the center of the plate. 011 each side of the rib H is a depressing-rib, I or I, siinilar to the rib G, and the turn-out wires B and-B are laid on the upper edges of these ribs as the wire 0 is laid on the edge of rib G. When the trolley, traveling underneath the wire 0 toward the turn-out, reaches the rib G, it is forced down, (being supported by springs to admit of such downward movement, as willbe well understood,) and the flanges of the wheel ride onto the plate E, which therefore does not oifer any impedimentto the progress of the trolley or interrupt the electrical contact. The trolley is then carried along the plate E,

"the movement of the ear onto the turn-out drawing it to one side or the. other, being guided, if necessary, by rib H,'so that the groove in the trolley engages the rib I or I,

and thetrolley'passes over such rib and rises to the conductor 13 or B. In the form shown neath' the same and carried to a lug, K, by

which it is supported. It is cvidentthat this is. an equivalent construction for the purposes of my invention. As is shown in Fig.

4, I have the frogs or switch-plates of the tracks somewhat in advance in each case. of those on the overhead lines. The car thus begins to turn before the trolley-does, and receiyes the right direction in time to draw the trolley after it before the latter can possibl y assume a wrongposition; Fig. 7 showstwo lines, I. L, crossing each other at an acute angle. A switch-plate, M, is provided,having side ribs, N l\*,'and deflecting-ribs H H situated between the downward depressing-ribs G G, along whose upper edges the wires L L extend, and such wires cross each other on the upper side of the plate.

The operation of this device will be readily understood.

In Figs. 8 and? the switch plat-econsists of a plate, I, which has curved ribsQ. on four sides, with open spaces between them, in which spaces are placed thedepressing ribs G, and the two lines, which at this pointcross each other at right angles, extend across the upper edges of the ribs G and the upper side of plate P, as shown in Fig. 9.

It will be. seen that the curved ribs Q will guide the trolley in the direction taken by the car, so that the trolley will pass directly across the plate from one rib G to the opposite one". In all these constructions the gaps or outlets for the trolley formed by the deflecting-ribs are made of verynea-rly the same width as the trolley itself, so that the trolley cannot pass through such gaps .or out-lets without engaging with the depressing-ribs.

It will be seen that in all these constructions I employ, in connection with the frog or switch-plate, a depressing-rib for permitting the trolley to ride easily upon and away from the plate, and I further provide in each case deflecting-ribs of the character required to guide the'trolley in the right direction. It is evident that such depressing-ribs maybe employed upon overhead lines at any point where it is necessary to pass the flange of the contact-trolley over an obstruction.

I do not claim in this application the plate along the top of. which the wires pass and having deflecting-ribs on its lower side at its extremities, or the combination of the switch upon the track and the switch on the overhead line, so arranged relatively that the car will reach its switch or turn-out before the trolley does, or the combination, with an overheadline, of a frog or switch-plate detachably secured underneath said line, or the combinaattached thereto and in about the same horizontal plane as said ire, since these features,

are claimed in my application filed December 1,1888, Serial No. 292,404, which is a division of-this application; neither do I claim in this application the switch-plate attached to the overhead conductor and constructed or pro-- vid ed with inea-nst'or depressing the contact device, this being claimed in my application filed January 12, 1889, Serial No. 296,172, which is a division of. this application.

' lVhat I claim is- 1. In an electric railway, the combination, with crossing or branching overhead'lines, of a switch-plate provided with depressingribs at its extremities, substantially as set forth.

2. In an electric railway, the combination, with crossing. or branching overhead lines, of a switch-plate having guiding or deflecting ribs, and depressing-ribs at its extremities,

substantially as set forth.

3. In an electric railway, the combination, with crossing or branching overhead lines; of a switch-plate having guiding-ribs at its sides and depressing-ribs at its extremities, substantially as set forth.

with crossingor branching overhead lines, of a switch-plate having side ribs which close it, except at points of admission or outlet for the traveling contact-wheel and depressing-ribs at such points, substantially as set fortln.

5. In'an electric railway, an overhead con ductor having, in combination, a wire and a plate to which the wire is connected, and depressing-ribs at the ends of said plate, sub stantially asset forth. 1

6. In an electric railway, the combination, with a continuous overhead wire, of a plate secured to said wire and provided with depering flat plate having side ribs, a V-shaped deflecting-rib at its wide end, a depressingrib at its narrow end, and two depressingribs at its wide end, substantially as setforth.

8. In an electric railway, the combination,

with an overhead conductor for receiving an underneath contact, of a depressing-rib, substantially as set forth. 9. In an electric railway, the overhead switch-plate having deflecting-ribs which close it, except at openings for admission or outletfor the trolley and depressing-ribs at such openings, such openings being of about the same width as the trolley, substantially as set forth.

10. In an electric railway, the combination, with an overhead wire for receiving an underneath contact, of a switch-plate attached to said wire in about the same horizontal plane as said wire, and depressing-ribs at the extremities of said plate, substantially as set forth. a

11. In an electric railway, the combination, with an overhead conductor for receiving an underneath contact, of. a depressing-rib in 4. In an electric railway, the combination,

line with said conductor, substantially as 01;

forth.

12. In an elc'tric railway, the cm'nbinat-ion', wlth an overhead conductor for receiving an 5 underneath contact, of a depressing-rib below Said conductor and 'tially as set forth.

in line therewith, substan- This specification signed filldiYHlNSSPd this v 

